System and method for automatic tool tracking, monitoring, and inventory management

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for automatically tracking tools and managing tool inventory. Tools may be assigned to a work group or crew. Tools are tracked and monitored to determine whether the tools are with their assigned group, relocated to a different group, missing, or left behind at a job site. For relocated tools, the tool tracking system may identify and output the time and the group to which the tool has been relocated. For tools that are missing, the system may compute and output the group or crew, time, and location in the form of a street address, latitude, longitude, and/or map where the missing tool was last seen. The system may also send out real-time notifications (e.g., SMS text messages, emails, phone calls) to designated personnel so that an appropriate action can be taken. The tool tracking system also acts as an inventory management system for tools.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/339,655 filed on Oct. 31, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/047,900 filed on Oct. 7, 2013, the entiredisclosure and content of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND

Tools, including hand tools and power tools, are extensively used atconstruction sites or other locations. Tools belonging to one or moreentities (e.g., a construction company, a public utility, etc.) may bestored at a distribution center and then used by one or more work groupsor crews at various locations. Frequently, tools can be misplaced orlost. Tools can also be stolen by an unauthorized person and removedfrom a particular location. Misplaced and lost tools are a significantproblem for several industries, such as public utilities, construction,and manufacturing. Lost tools reduce efficiency and productivity.Further, replacing lost tools is costly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure will bedescribed with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a tool tracking system accordingto an embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a server or processing unit of thetool tracking system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an environment in which the tool tracking system ofFIG. 1 may operate.

FIG. 4A illustrates a first portion of a flow diagram for a tooltracking and monitoring module of the tool tracking system.

FIG. 4B illustrates a second portion of the flow diagram for the tooltracking and monitoring module of the tool tracking system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, various embodiments will be described. Forpurposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments.However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that theembodiments may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore,well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscurethe embodiment being described.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methodsfor automatically tracking tools and managing tool inventory. Thesystems and methods disclosed herein automatically or manually assigntools to a work group or “crew,” track tools, and monitor whether thetools are with their assigned group or crew, relocated to a differentgroup or crew, missing, or left behind at a location such as a job site.For relocated tools, the system may identify and output the time and thegroup to which the tool has been relocated. For tools that are missingor left behind at a job site, the system may compute and output thegroup or crew, time and location in the form of a street address,latitude, longitude, and/or a map where the missing tool was last seen.The system may also send out notifications (e.g., short message service(SMS) text messages, emails, and/or phone calls) in real-time with theabove-referenced information to designated personnel so that an actioncan be taken immediately. This dramatically reduces the time spentlooking for lost or missing tools and significantly reduces the costsincurred due to missing tools. As discussed in more detail below, thesystem may also be configured to generate automatic alerts, such asgeofencing alerts, environmental conditions alerts, tampering alerts,etc.

In some embodiments, the system also acts as an inventory managementsystem for tools, wherein the status and whereabouts of a tool may beidentified via a software user interface accessible on various computingdevices. The system may allow users to schedule important events fortools such as calibrations, inspections, maintenance, repair, etc., andthe system may automatically send out reminders before the event. Insome embodiments the reminders are sent through SMS text message, email,phone, etc., to designated personnel.

In some embodiments, the system assists in planning smart and efficientrouting of tools and crew from one job site to another. For example, ifa crew at a job site requires a specific tool, an operator or member ofthe crew may log into the system through a computing device, such as asmartphone, tablet, or laptop, and may locate the crew or job site wherethe required tool can be borrowed. The system may also allow an operatorto plan and optimize the route of a crew visiting multiple job sites byminimizing the travel distance and time.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a tool tracking system 10according to an embodiment. The tool tracking system 10 includes sevenmain components: a tool tag 12, a data and locationacquisition/communication unit (“LAU”) 14, a data collection unit 16, aninventory tag 18, an inventory tag reader 20, a server computing deviceor processing unit (“server”) 22, and a software user interface 24. Eachof these components is described in further detail below with referenceto FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. 3 illustrates an environment in which the tooltracking system 10 shown in FIG. 1 may be implemented.

Generally, the tool tag 12 is a small, low power radio tag that isattachable to or positioned within a tool 26 that is to be tracked andmonitored. As shown in FIG. 3, the tool tracking system 10 may includetool tags 12 for each of the tools 26 that are tracked by the tooltracking system. Thus, the tool tag 12 shown in FIG. 1 is representativeof a single tool tag. The tool tag 12 includes a short range wirelesstransceiver 28, a processor 30, data storage device 32, and one or moresensors 34. The processor 30 is generally responsible for executingcomputer programs stored on the data storage device 32, which mayinclude one or more types of volatile (RAM) memory and non-volatile(ROM) memory. The wireless transceiver 28 of the tool tag 12 may includeone or more short range wireless network transceivers, such as but notlimited to Bluetooth®, LE Bluetooth® or ZigBee® transceivers.

The sensors 34 may include one or more accelerometer/motion sensors,gyroscopes, magnetometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors,optical sensors, sonic or ultrasonic sensors, or other sensors. Thesensors 34 are configured to gather information relating to theenvironment in which the tool 26 associated with the tool tag 12 islocated or used. For example, the sensors 34 may include a motion sensoroperative to determine whether the tool 26 is currently in use,traveling in a vehicle, stationary, etc. The number and type of sensors34 may depend on the characteristics of the tool 26 to which the tooltag 12 is attached. For example, more expensive tools 26 may be equippedwith tool tags 12 having more sensors 34 than less expensive tools. Asanother example, tools 26 only suitable for operating in certainenvironments (e.g., certain temperature ranges) may include a sensor 34(e.g., a temperature sensor) that are operative to detect thoseoperating environments. In general, the tool tag 12 is configured to besmall in size and to have a long battery life, for example, in the rangeof several years.

The tool tag 12 is configured to transmit radio messages via the shortrange wireless transceiver 28 that include a tag identification (ID) andsensor data at regular intervals to be received by the LAU 14. As shownin FIG. 3, the tool tracking system 10 may include multiple LAUs 14(e.g., LAU-A and LAU-B) located in various vehicles 36 or positioned atvarious locations proximate to where tools 26 are used, including butnot limited to job sites, distribution centers, and repair centers. InFIG. 3, the LAU-A is positioned in a truck 36A and the LAU-B ispositioned in a different truck 36B. The trucks 36A and 36B arerepresentative of vehicles associated with the tool tracking system 10,sometimes generally referred to herein as “trucks 36.” After eachtransmission of a tool tag message, the tool tag 12 may wait to receivean acknowledgment from the LAU 14. If the tool tag 12 does not receivean acknowledgment, it may retransmit the message with a higher power. Ifthe tool tag 12 still does not receive an acknowledgment, the tool tagmay continue to increase the power up to a maximum power to improve thelikelihood that it will be able to communicate with the LAU 14. If noacknowledgment is received after the tool tag 12 has transmitted at themaximum power setting, the tool tag 12 may then switch into a “lostmode.” In the lost mode, the tool tag 12 may transmit a “lost” statusmessage at the highest power. If any LAU 14 receives the lost modemessage, the receiving LAU 14 may forward the message to the server 22,which may generate one or more actionable alerts that are sent out touser computing devices associated with designated personnel.

In some embodiments, the tool tag 12 also automatically controls regulartransmission intervals based on the usage of the tool 26 or equipment(generally referred to herein as “tool”) to which the tool tag isattached. The tool tag 12 may intelligently determine whether the tool26 is being used by utilizing and/or combining the output from one ormore of the sensors 34 such as, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, amagnetometer, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, optical sensors,and the like. If the tool tag 12 determines that the tool 26 is notbeing used, in some embodiments the tool tag may increase the timeinterval between transmissions to save battery life.

The tool tag 12 may be assigned to one or multiple LAUs 14 associatedwith the tool tracking system 10. For clarity, a single LAU 14 is shownin FIG. 1 and two LAUs (LAU-A and LAU-B) are shown in FIG. 3. Referringto FIG. 1, in some embodiments the LAU 14 has four primary functions:acquire or receive tool tag messages (including sensor data) from thetool tags 12; send acknowledgments to tool tags upon receiving a tagmessage therefrom; acquire location information that may be used todetermine the location of tool tags 12; and communicate the tool tag andlocation information to the data collection unit 16 or to the server 22.

The LAU 14 may include, but is not limited to, one or more processors 38generally responsible for executing computer programs stored on a datastorage device 40 of the LAU. The LAU 14 may also include a wirelesswide area network (WWAN) modem 42 for transmitting and receiving datacontent (e.g., such as content received from the tool tag 12 anddelivered to the server 22) over a data communication network 44 (seeFIG. 3). The data communication network 44 may include a cellularnetwork and/or the Internet, as well as one or more other wired orwireless networks.

The LAU 14 may also include a short range transceiver 46 (e.g., aBluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, LE Bluetooth®, and/or ZigBee® enabled communicationstransceiver) that allows the LAU to wirelessly communicate with one ormore electronic devices. In some embodiments, one or more LAUs 14 of thetool tracking system 10 may only include the short range transceiver 46while others may include both the short range transceiver and the WWANmodem 42. The LAU 14 further includes a global positioning system (GPS)receiver 48 or other device operative to determine the location of theLAU 14. As shown in FIG. 3, using the GPS receiver 48, the LAU-A andLAU-B may obtain location information by receiving signals from GPSsatellites 50. Since the tool tags 12 communicate with the LAUs 14 usingshort range communication, the location of the LAU that receives acommunication from a tool tag is indicative of the location of that tooltag. As can be appreciated, the location of the tool tags 12 cantherefore be determined without requiring each tool tag to includeexpensive and bulky location determination devices (e.g., GPSreceivers).

Generally, each LAU 14 may be assigned to a truck, crew, job site,depot, repair center, distribution center, etc. (“group”). In operation,the LAU 14 continuously listens for radio tool tag messages receivedfrom tool tags 12 that are each attached to one of the tools 26 (seeFIG. 3). When the LAU receives a tool tag message, it may send anacknowledgment message to the tool tag that sent the message, asdiscussed above. The LAU 14 collects and stores the messages it receivesfrom the tool tags 12 for a predefined interval. At the end of theinterval, the LAU 14 packages the messages received from the tool tags12 along with the GPS location information from the GPS receiver 48 andsends the data either to the data collection unit 16 positioned nearby(e.g., at a job site) via a short range wireless link using the shortrange transceiver 46 or to the server 22 using the WWAN modem 42. In asituation where the LAU 14 cannot establish a link to the server 22 orthe data collection unit 16, the LAU may relay the data to a nearby LAU(e.g., from LAU-A to LAU-B shown in FIG. 3) located in a different truckor located somewhere else in the job site to be forwarded by that LAU 14to the server 22. Additionally or alternatively, the LAU 14 may storethe data until it is able to transmit the data to the data collectionunit 16 or to the server 22.

The tool tracking system 10 may include numerous data collection units16, although only a single data collection unit is shown in FIGS. 1 and3 for clarity. The data collection unit 16 is operative to collect datafrom all the LAUs 14 that are within range through short range wirelesslinks and then forward the received data to the server 22 through wiredor wireless communication over the data communications network 44 (e.g.,the Internet). For example, a single data collection unit 16 may bepositioned at a job site to receive data from multiple LAUs 14 that arealso positioned at the job site (e.g., LAUs attached to trucks 36 thattravel to the job site).

As shown in FIG. 1, the data collection unit 16 includes a processor 52responsible for executing computer programs stored in a data storagedevice 54 of the data collection unit. The data collection unit 16further includes a short range transceiver 56 configured to implementone or more short range wireless communication protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi®,ZigBee®, Bluetooth®, LE Bluetooth®, or the like). The data collectionunit 16 may also include a WWAN modem 60 for transmitting and receivingdata content (e.g., such as content received from the LAU 14 anddelivered to the server 22) over the data communication network 44 (seeFIG. 3). In some embodiments, the data collection unit 16 furtherincludes an Ethernet interface 58 or its equivalent to facilitate wirednetwork communication with the server 22. The data collection unit 16may be installed at a job site, depot, repair center, and/or adistribution center. The tool tracking system 10 may include a pluralityof data collection units 16 each distributed at various locations.

Referring to FIG. 1, the inventory tag 18 is a small tag that isattachable to a tool 62 that is generally not meant to be tracked in anyway other than for inventory purposes. The tool tracking system 10 mayinclude numerous inventory tags 18, each associated with a particulartool 62. The inventory tag 18 includes a radio frequency identification(RFID) chip 64 and/or a barcode 66 and is attached to the tool 62. Theinventory tag 18 may include a unique inventory tag ID that isprogrammed into the RFID chip 64 or into the barcode 66. Those skilledin the art will appreciate that the term “barcode” is intended toencompass other forms of printed symbology, such as 2D codes, QR codes,and the like.

The inventory tag reader 20 is operative to read the inventory tag ID ofthe inventory tag 18 by either reading the programmed ID from the RFIDchip 64 using an RFID reader 68 or by reading the ID from the barcode 66using a barcode reader 70. The inventory tag ID may then be sent to theserver 22 using a network transceiver 72 of the inventory tag reader 20configured to communicate through wired or wireless connection with theserver 22.

FIG. 2 illustrates a more detailed diagram view of the server 22, whichmay be located a remote location or in the “cloud.” The server 22 mayinclude, but is not limited to, one or more processors 74 generallyresponsible for executing computer programs stored on the server'ssystem memory 76, which may include volatile (RAM) memory andnon-volatile (ROM) memory. The server 22 may also include a userinterface 78 that allows a user/administrator to interact with theserver's software and hardware resources.

The server 22 may also include a network transceiver 80 and a networkinterface 82 for transmitting and receiving data content (e.g., such ascontent received from the LAUs 14, the data collection units 16, or theinventory tag reader 20) over one or more data communication networks44. The server 22 may also include a system bus 84 that facilitates datacommunications amongst the hardware resources of the server. As shown inFIG. 2, the system memory 76 includes a data storage structure, such asa database module 86, a tracking and monitoring module 88, anassociation module 90, a location and mapping module 92, an alert andreporting module 94, an inventory management and scheduling module 96,and a finder and routing module 98. Each of these modules is discussedbelow.

All the data received from the tool tags 12, LAUs 14, and datacollection units 16, along with the location information are stored inthe database module 86. In some embodiments, the database module 86 maycomprise a NoSQL/SQL database. The database module 86 also holds IDs fortool tags 12, inventory tags 18, LAUs 14, data collection units 16, aswell as associated tools 26, trucks 36, crews, job sites, repaircenters, etc.

The tracking and monitoring module 88 is generally responsible fortracking and monitoring all tools 26 with tool tags 12 associatedtherewith and making decisions regarding whether the status of a tool is“OK,” “missing,” or “relocated” to another truck, crew, job site, depot,repair center, or distribution center. At the end of each reportinginterval, the tracking and monitoring module 88 consolidates all themessages it has received in that interval from the LAUs 14. As discussedabove, each message from one of the LAUs 14 contains all the messages ithas received from the tool tags 12 within a reporting interval. Thetracking and monitoring module 88 then decides whether a tool tag 12,and its associated tool 26, is with its assigned group (e.g., truck,crew, job site, depot, repair center, distribution center, etc.),relocated to a different group, left behind at a location such as a jobsite, or missing.

An algorithm the tracking and location module 88 may utilize isillustrated by a flowchart 100 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. As discussedabove, the tracking and location module 88 of the server 22 receives andconsolidates messages it has received from the LAUs 14. The messagesinclude tool tag messages that may include tool tag IDs, sensor data,etc. Initially, at block 102 a user may set a time threshold for missingtools detection (e.g., T minutes) and a reporting interval (e.g., TRminutes). Then, for each tool in a particular group to which it has beenassigned, the tracking and reporting module 88 may determine if the tooltag associated with the tool has not reported in (via tool tag messagessend to LAUs 14) in more than the threshold for missing detection time(T), blocks 104 and 106. If the tool has not reported in and all theLAUs 14 have sent in their messages within the threshold for missingtools detection time T, the tool is assigned a status of “lost,” blocks108 and 110 (see FIG. 4B).

If the tool has reported in within the threshold for missing toolsdetection time (T) (block 106=“yes”), the tracking and location module88 collects all messages from the LAUs 14 within the reporting interval(TR), block 112. At decision block 114, if any of the LAUs 14 associatedwith the group to which the tool tag (and tool) is assigned (“assignedLAUs”) have heard from the tool tag within the reporting interval (TR)(block 114=“yes”), the last report time for the tool tag is set as thecurrent time (block 116), the group for the tool tag remains set to theassigned LAU (block 118), and the status for the tool is set to “OK,”block 120.

If any of the assigned LAUs 14 have not heard from the tool tag withinthe reporting interval (block 114=“no”), the tracking and locationmodule 88 next checks to see whether any of the LAUs from a group towhich the tool is not assigned (“unassigned LAUs”) have heard from thetool tag within the reporting interval (TR), block 122. If so, thetracking and location module 88 first checks to make sure all theassigned LAUs 14 have reported in during the reporting interval, block124. If all the assigned LAUs 14 have reported in, meaning only anunassigned LAU heard from the tool tag in the last reporting interval(TR), then the last report time for the tool tag is set as the currenttime (block 126), the group for the tool tag is reassigned to the groupto which the LAU that heard from the tool tag is assigned (block 128),and the status for the tool tag is set to “relocated,” block 130.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the association module 90 is responsible forthe automatic assignment and reassignment of tools 26 to groups (e.g.,trucks, crews, job sites, depots, repair centers and distributioncenters). In some embodiments, the automatic assignment and reassignmentof the tools 26 may be performed based on the logic described below.

Initially, the tools 26 may be assigned to distribution centers.Whenever one of the tools 26 gets relocated to a group such as a truck,crew, job site, depot, or repair center from a distribution center, itautomatically is associated with that group. Similarly, whenever one ofthe tools 26 is relocated to a distribution center from a group, it isautomatically associated with that distribution center. If one of thetools 26 is relocated to a group from a couriering/dispatching truck,which is a special vehicle that is used for couriering or dispatchingtools among yards, distribution centers, job sites, and repair centers,the tool automatically gets associated to that group. If one of thetools 26 is relocated to a courier/dispatching truck from a group, thetool automatically is associated to that courier/dispatching truck.

In some embodiments, whenever a tool is relocated to a new group fromanother group, the association module 90 may not automatically reassignthe tool. Instead, a user or operator may be presented with an option inthe user interface 24 (discussed below) to accept or reject theassignment of the tool to the new group. For example, the associationmodule 90 of the tool tracking system 10 may allow a user to enable an“automatic association mode” for one or more selected groups. The usercan enable this feature from the user interface 24 (see FIG. 1). Whenthe automatic association mode is enabled for a particular group, anytool that is determined to have been relocated to that group isautomatically reassigned to the group without requiring selection orapproval by a user. In some embodiments, the tool tracking system 10 mayalso allow tools to be associated using RFID or barcode scanning.Moreover, at any point in time, a user may also manually assign orreassign a tool to any group using the user interface 24 shown in FIG.1, which is accessible via a suitable user computing device. If a groupis in a “manual association mode,” a tool that is determined to havebeen relocated to a new group is reassigned to the group only afternotification to and approval by a user.

The location and mapping module 92 shown in FIG. 2 is now described. Asdiscussed above, each LAU 14 may have a GPS receiver 48. Each time oneof the LAUs 14 receives a tool tag message from a tool tag 12, itattaches the time and the location coordinates (e.g., latitude,longitude, and elevation) with the message. Since the tool tags 12communicate with the LAUs 14 via short range wireless communication, thelocation of the LAU that receives a message from a tool tag isapproximately the location of the tool tag and associated tool 26. Thelocation and mapping module 92 utilizes this information to determinewhen and where a tool 26, truck, or crew was last seen. The location andmapping module 92 also uses the location coordinates to map the objectsto the closest physical address (e.g., a street address). Thisinformation is then available via the user interface 24 where thelocation coordinates may be displayed on a map along with the determinedphysical address.

The alert and reporting module 94 is generally responsible forgenerating and reporting alerts including, but not limited to, missingand relocated tool alerts, geofencing alerts, environmental alerts, andsecurity alerts.

If one of the tools 26 has been missing or has been relocated for acertain time threshold set by a user (e.g., threshold T discussed abovewith reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B), the alert and reporting module 94may generate a missing or relocated tool alert and send the alert tointerested users. The alerts may be sent by email, SMS text message,phone call, and the like, so that urgent action may be taken. The alertand reporting module 94 may send the time and location informationrelating to when the tool 26 was last seen. Further, if the alert andreporting module 94 receives a message from a tool that is transmittingin lost mode, the alert and reporting module may generate and send animmediate alert along with the received location information.

In some embodiments, the tool 26 may be assigned to be used only atspecified geographical areas. In this geofencing application, an alertmay be generated and sent if the tool 26 is moved out of the specifiedarea. The specified geographic area may be static or may be selectivelymodified by users or administrators of the tool tracking system 10.

In some embodiments, the tool 26 may be assigned to be used undercertain environmental conditions, such as certain temperatures and/orpressures. If the environmental condition of the tool 26 exceeds theassigned environmental thresholds, an environmental alert may begenerated and sent as discussed above. The environmental conditions ofthe tool 26 may be monitored using the one or more sensors 34 shown inFIG. 1.

In some embodiments, the tool 26 may be assigned to be used withincertain hours of the day. If the tool 26 is used or tampered withoutside of the specified hours (e.g., during a restricted period), analert may be generated and sent. The restricted period may be scheduledautomatically (e.g., based on a work schedule, etc.) or may be scheduledmanually as needed. As discussed above, use of the tool 26 may bedetected by one or more sensors 34 of the tool tag 12.

The inventory management and scheduling module 96 is generallyresponsible for managing inventory of tools 26 and for schedulingmaintenance, inspection, calibration, repair, or the like for tools,equipment, and/or trucks. The inventory management and scheduling module96 may manage inventory various levels including truck, crew, job site,depot, repair center, distribution center, and organization levels. Auser of the tool tracking system 10 may allocate a tool 26 or group oftools to a specific truck 36, crew or a job site, and upon return of thetools take an inventory to see if all the items have been returned. Auser may also schedule a time for an action to be taken in the future,such as maintenance, inspection, calibration, repair, or the like, andthe inventory management and scheduling module may automaticallygenerate a reminder and send the reminder to the interested users.

The finder and routing module 98 may be used to find or locate tools 26,trucks 36, or crews. In the case of the tool 26, the finder and routermodule 98 may determine with which truck or crew the tool is located(e.g., address and location coordinates). In the case of the truck 36 orthe tool 26, the finder and routing module 98 may determine its currentlocation coordinates and physical address. If a new tool is needed at ajob site, the finder and routing module 98 may first find tools 26 thatare available among all crews, trucks, job site and depots, or aselected subset thereof, and then determine which of the available toolswould be most efficient to route to the requesting job site.

If a truck or a crew is needed at a job site, the finder and routingmodule 98 may first locate the available trucks and crews that areeither close by or scheduled to be near or to pass by the job site wherethe truck or crew is needed. The finder and routing module 98 may thendetermine which truck or crew will be the most efficient to route to thejob site by optimizing availability, traffic, scheduling, and distance.

A user of the tool tracking system 10 can access the system using theuser interface 24. The user interface 24 may be a web application thatcan be accessed from anywhere using any Internet enabled computingdevice (e.g., a laptop, smartphone, etc.), or a dedicated applicationfor a smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or other computingdevice.

The user interface 24 is operative to display the status of all thetools 26 and crews associated with the tool tracking system 10. For eachtool 26, the user interface 24 may display a map with the location,addresses and the time when the tool was last seen or relocated. Forevery truck 36 and crew, the user interface 24 may display a map withthe current location, physical address, and time.

As discussed above, the user interface 24 allows the user to enableassociation of tools 26 with a group. The user may accept or rejectreassignment of tools 26 to a new group (e.g., a new truck, crew, etc.).The user interface 24 allows users to view and manage inventory fortrucks 36, crews, job sites, depots, repair centers, distributioncenters, and the overall organizational level. Users can also find androute tools 26, trucks 36, and crews to job sites. The user interface 24also allows users to schedule maintenance, repair, calibration, repairdate, etc. for tools 26 and trucks 36.

The user interface 24 also allows users to configure the type andrecipient of various alerts that may be sent by the alert and reportingmodule 94 of the server 22 (see FIG. 2). Different recipients mayreceive different types of alerts depending on the recipients' position,work schedule, current location, preferences, etc. For example, one usermay only receive alerts during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. viaSMS text message, whereas another user may receive alerts 24 hours a dayvia SMS text message, email, and phone calls. As another example, in thecase where one of the tools 26 has been left at a job site, a driver ofa truck 36 that has just left the job site may receive an alertindicating the tool was left behind. In some embodiments, the userinterface 24 also allows users to create reports, charts, plots, etc. ofstatus, usage and performance information relating to tools, trucks,crews, etc.

The foregoing described embodiments depict different componentscontained within, or connected with, different other components. It isto be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary,and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented whichachieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangementof components to achieve the same functionality is effectively“associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Likewise,any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operablyconnected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desiredfunctionality.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that,based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from this invention and its broader aspects and,therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope allsuch changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scopeof this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that theinvention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will beunderstood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appendedclaims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.).

It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specificnumber of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intentwill be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of suchrecitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations).

Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A tool tracking system for tracking a tool,comprising: a tool tag attachable to a tool and comprising a wirelesstransceiver configured for short range wireless communication, the tooltag configured to periodically transmit, via the wireless transceiver, atool tag message comprising a tool tag identification (ID); a locationand acquisition/communication unit (LAU) and a location determinationdevice, the LAU being positionable at a location within range of thewireless transceiver of the tool tag, the LAU being configured toreceive the tool tag message from the tool tag transceiver, and furtherconfigured to obtain location data from the location determinationdevice and to associate the obtained location data with the receivedtool tag message, the LAU being further configured to send the tool tagmessage and the associated location data via a network; and a servercomputing device coupled to the network and operative to receive thetool tag message and the associated location data from the LAU using theserver network interface to track the location of the tool to which thetool tag is attached.
 2. The tool tracking system of claim 1, whereinthe LAU is associated with a vehicle operative to transport the tool,and the network interface of the LAU comprises a wireless wide areanetwork (WWAN) modem.
 3. The tool tracking system of claim 1, whereinthe server computing device comprises an association module configuredto assign the tool with the tool tag attached thereto to a first group.4. The tool tracking system of claim 3, wherein the association moduleis further configured to reassign the tool with the tool tag attachedthereto to a second group different than the first group.
 5. The tooltracking system of claim 4, wherein the association module is configuredto, prior to reassigning the tool from the first group to the secondgroup, transmit to a user computing device associated with a user viathe network interface of the server a request for permission to reassignthe tool, and to receive a response from the computer grantingpermission to reassign the tool.
 6. The tool tracking system of claim 3,wherein the server computing device further comprises a tracking andmonitoring module operative to receive a plurality of messages from theLAU and, based on the received messages, to determine a status of thetool indicative of whether the tool is located with the first group,whether the tool has been relocated to a second group different than thefirst group, or whether the tool has been lost.
 7. The tool trackingsystem of claim 1, further comprising an alert and reporting moduleoperative to send a timely notification, indicative of the location ofthe tool, to a user computing device associated with a user.
 8. The tooltracking system of claim 7, wherein the alert and reporting module isoperative to establish a restricted period for the tool wherein the toolis not to be used, to monitor use of the tool, and to send a timelynotification to a user computing device associated with a user when thealert and reporting module detects the tool being used during therestricted period.
 9. The tool tracking system of claim 8, wherein thealert and reporting module is operative to automatically establish therestricted period based upon a work schedule of a user of the tool. 10.The tool tracking system of claim 1, further comprising a location andmapping module operative to utilize the received location data todetermine location information for the tool and to transmit the locationinformation to a user computing device associated with a user via thenetwork interface of the server computing device.
 11. The tool trackingsystem of claim 10, wherein the location information comprises aphysical address that is displayable on a display of the user computingdevice.
 12. The tool tracking system of claim 1, wherein the servercomputing device comprises a finder and routing module operative toreceive a request for the tool from a user computing device associatedwith a user via the network interface of the server computing device,and to transmit instructions that cause the tool to be routed accordingto the request.
 13. The tool tracking system of claim 1, wherein thelocation determination device of the LAU comprises a global positioningsystem (GPS) receiver.
 14. The tool tracking system of claim 1, whereinthe tool tag further comprises a sensor operative to sense anenvironmental condition associated with the tool.
 15. The tool trackingsystem of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a motion sensor,temperature sensor, pressure sensor, optical sensor, sonic sensor,ultrasonic sensor, magnetometer, accelerometer, or gyroscope.
 16. Thetool tracking system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver of thetool tag and the network interface of the LAU are configured forcommunication using at least one of Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, LE Bluetooth®or a Wi-Fi® protocol.
 17. A tool tracking system for tracking aplurality of tools, comprising: a plurality of tool tags each attachableto one of the plurality of tools and comprising a wireless transceiverconfigured for short range wireless communication, each of the tool tagsbeing configured to periodically transmit, via the wireless transceiver,a tool tag message comprising a tool tag identification (ID); aplurality of location and acquisition/communication units (LAUs) eachcomprising a processor, a data storage device, a network interface, anda location determination device, each of the plurality of LAUs beingpositionable at a location within range of at least a subset of thewireless transceivers of the plurality of tool tags, each of theplurality of LAUs being configured to receive tool tag messages from thewireless transceivers of the plurality of tool tags, and furtherconfigured to obtain location data from the location determinationdevice and to associate the obtained location data with the receivedtool tag messages comprising the tool tag IDs, each of the plurality ofLAUs being further configured to periodically send the received tool tagmessages and the associated location data over a network using thenetwork interface; and a server computing device comprising a processor,a data storage device, a server network interface, and a tracking andmonitoring module configured to receive the tool tag messages and theassociated location data from the plurality of LAUs using the servernetwork interface to track the location of the tools to which theplurality of tool tags are attached, the server computing device furthercomprising an association module configured to assign each of theplurality of tool tags to one or more groups, and to determine a statusof each of the tools associated with the tool tags indicative of, foreach tool, whether the tool is located with its assigned group, whetherthe tool has been relocated to a group different than the group to whichit is assigned, or whether the location of the tool is unknown.
 18. Thetool tracking system of claim 17, wherein the association module isfurther configured to reassign the group to which each of the tool tagsand its respective tools is assigned.
 19. The tool tracking system ofclaim 17, wherein the association module is further configured toreassign the group to which each of the tool tags is assigned dependenton the location data received from the LAUs.
 20. The tool trackingsystem of claim 17, further comprising a data collection unit comprisinga processor, a data storage device, a network interface, and a shortrange transceiver, the data collection unit operative to receive datafrom one or more LAUs using the short range transceiver, and to transmitdata to the server computing device using the network interface.
 21. Thetool tracking system of claim 17, wherein the location determinationdevice of the plurality of LAUs comprises a global positioning system(GPS) receiver.
 22. The tool tracking system of claim 17, wherein theone or more groups comprise a work crew or a vehicle.
 23. The tooltracking system of claim 17, wherein the server computing device furthercomprises an alert and reporting module operative to send a timelynotification, indicative of the location of at least one of the tools,to a user computing device associated with a user.
 24. The tool trackingsystem of claim 23, wherein the alert and reporting module is operativeto establish a restricted period for the tool wherein the tool is not tobe used, to monitor use of the tool, and to send a timely notificationto a user computing device associated with a user when the alert andreporting module detects the tool being used during the restrictedperiod.
 25. The tool tracking system of claim 24, wherein the alert andreporting module is operative to automatically establish the restrictedperiod based upon a work schedule of a user of the tool.
 26. Acomputer-implemented method for tracking and monitoring tools,comprising: under the control of one or more computer systems configuredwith executable instructions, receiving tool tag messages at a locationand acquisition/communication unit (LAU) using short range wirelesscommunication from a plurality of tool tags each associated with one ofthe tools, the tool tag messages each including a tool tagidentification (ID); obtaining location information indicative of apresent location of the LAU; associating the received tool tag IDs withthe location information; and sending the tool tag IDs and theassociated location information from the LAU to a server computingdevice over a network.
 27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26,further comprising: assigning each of the tool tag IDs to a group;storing the tool tag IDs and the associated location information in adata storage device of the server computing device; and determiningwhether each of the tool tags is located with its assigned group usingthe received tool tag IDs and location information.
 28. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 27, further comprising sending atimely notification to a user computing device comprising a status ofone of the tools associated with one of the tool tags, the status beingindicative of whether the tool is located with its assigned group,whether the tool has been relocated to a group different than itsassigned group, or whether the location of the tool is unknown.
 29. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein at least a subset ofthe tool tags comprises one or more sensors, and the tool tag messagesfurther include sensor data obtained from the one or more sensors. 30.The computer-implemented method of claim 29, wherein the one or moresensors comprises a motion sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor,optical sensor, sonic sensor, ultrasonic sensor, magnetometer,accelerometer, or gyroscope.
 31. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 29, further comprising determining a status of at least one of thetools using the sensor data.
 32. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 29, further comprising establishing a restricted period for thetool wherein the tool is not to be used, monitoring use of the tool, andsending a timely notification to a user computing device associated witha user when the tool is being used during the restricted period.
 33. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein monitoring use of thetool comprises evaluating the sensor data.
 34. A computer-implementedmethod for tracking and monitoring tools, comprising: under the controlof one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,assigning a tool to a first group, the tool having a tool tag attachedthereto that is operative to periodically transmit, via a wirelesstransceiver, a tool tag message comprising tool tag identification (ID)data for each respective tool tag; receiving tool tag messages from thetool tag at a location and acquisition/communication unit (LAU) via ashort range transceiver; obtaining location information indicative of apresent location of the LAU; associating the received tool tag messageswith the location information; sending the tool tag messages and theassociated location information from the LAU to a server computingdevice over a network; and determining a status of the tool using thetool tag messages and the associated location information, the statusbeing indicative of whether the tool is located with the first group,whether the tool has been relocated to a group different than the firstgroup, or whether the location of the tool is unknown.
 35. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 34, further comprising sending atimely notification to a user computing device comprising the status ofthe tool.
 36. The computer-implemented method of claim 35, wherein thenotification comprises location data indicative of the location of thetool.
 37. The computer-implemented method of claim 34, wherein the tooltag comprises a sensor and the tool tag messages comprise sensor data,and determining the status of the tool comprises evaluating the sensordata.
 38. The computer-implemented method of claim 34, furthercomprising providing a user interface accessible by a user computingdevice associated with a user over a network, the user interface beingoperative to present the status of the tool to the user.
 39. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 38, wherein the user interfaceallows a user to reassign the tool from the first group to a secondgroup different from the first group.
 40. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 34, further comprising reassigning the tool to a secondgroup different from the first group dependent on the determined statusof the tool.